


Lavender Breeze

by Star_The_Trekkie



Category: Frozen (2013), Sneedronningen | The Snow Queen - Hans Christian Andersen
Genre: AU, Anna does not have powers, Elemental AU, Gen, I mean, Like Really Evil, My First Fanfic, Not Beta Read, Old Gods, Rapunzel is not related to Elsa&Anna, We die like real men, first time on ao3, frozen 2, hans gets a hug, hans gets a redemption arc, how do you tag, lots of atla references, the enchanted lands, the tangled gang is in this for like one chapter, the trolls are evil, there is Anna/Kristoff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 02:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19347706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_The_Trekkie/pseuds/Star_The_Trekkie
Summary: A story about some puppets, their masters, the resistance, and one very angry rock god.





	1. Xiaoxiao Meng

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Xiaoxiao, everyone.

Xiaoxiao was doing quite well on her first day of independence. She was twenty-four, very much old enough to go into the world by herself; locked in Corona’s deepest, dankest dungeon after a hilariously unsuccessful attempt to steal the princesses’ crown. Xiaoxiao leaned against the cell wall and addressed her neighbor.

 “Come up with any genius escape plans, Boy Wonder?” her neighbor responded with contempt:

 “If I had, neither of us would still be here now, would we?” Xiaoxiao smirked.

 “Wel-ll… I have a plan if you’d like to hear it.” the boy on the other side of the wall audibly grimaced.

 “I _would_ have a _great_ plan if either of us could reach that wooden beam on the other side of the corridor. We were going to run out of here… then get recaptured before we even got to the gates.”

 “You are just a ray of sunshine today, aren’t you?”

 “Whatever.”

 "So, I never asked this before, what are you in for, Boy Wonder?”

 “It’s complicated.”

 “Figured as much. I personally am in because I found out that that crown contains a map.”

 “...A map?”

 “It’s not relevant at all to whatever the hell’s going on over here, though. It’s really only useful to me and the friends I’m going to make/kidnap once I get out of here. You said you needed that beam?” Xiaoxiao stood up. She walked over to the bars of her cell and made a slashing gesture with her arm, mimicking cutting the bars in half. A razor-thin cut appeared in the bars with a crack. Xiaoxiao kicked the door down with no trouble. She walked up to the beam and hoisted it over her shoulder.

 Her neighbor stared at her from his cell. He was an impossibly pale boy, folded in on himself. Feathery black hair fell in his face as he stood up. His expression was of someone who had been defeated, broken and put back together by willpower, but even that was gone now. His eyes were hollow, and his cheekbones jutted out, probably because the guards seemed to enjoy giving him even less than Xiaoxiao herself. He wore cracked and dirty welding goggles around his neck. Xiaoxiao stared him down.

 “Well?” the boy she called a wonder stared at her.

 “What?” he said.

 “Well, are you gonna tell me how to break you out of there? With my methods, I couldn’t be sure you’d make it out of there in one piece,” she smiled at him.

 “...who are you?”

 “My name is Xiaoxiao Meng. I’m from the Lantern Kingdom in the east. As for who I am… that doesn’t matter. I’m gonna need you to stand to the left a bit.” the boy obeyed. With another vertical slashing motion, the lock fell off the door with a clatter, and a slice appeared in the wall at the back of the cell. The boy jumped to the side in surprise.

 “How…”

 “Like I said, doesn’t matter. What does matter is how we’re gonna get my stuff, that crown, and out of here without getting caught.”

 “We?” Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him.

 “Yes, we. you think I’m gonna leave a man behind? I’m heading to the Southern Isles after this. That place is basically a paradise for criminals nowadays. It would be easy to set up your shop there, hm?” the boy stared up at her in surprise.

 “...Varian,”

 “What?”

“That’s my name. You told me yours, so it’s only fair for me to tell you mine,” Xiaoxiao smiled at him.

 “Glad to have you aboard, Varian. Let’s get moving,” The pair moved fast. They ended up using the beam as a gangplank to move between the prison tower and the palace roof. Varian proved to be remarkably agile. When Xiaoxiao asked him about it he just said:

 “This isn’t the first time I’ve tried to do this. I have someone I need to save as soon as I can, and I’ve had a year to get better at this sort of thing,” Xiaoxiao asked no more questions.

 “Let’s split up for now,” said Varian. “You get the crown, and I’ll get our things from the storage. What do you need?”

 “My swords, my bag, my cloak… I think that’s it. My bag is pretty big. Canvas. It’s dyed purple, but, like, kinda bluish too. My swords are pretty easy to find. Here, I have a picture.” Xiaoxiao pulled a scrap of paper out of her belt. Doodled on the paper were two identical swords, crescent-shaped, with inscriptions in old Lanterish on the inner edges.

 “As for my cloak, it’s white, with this pearl button on the neckline.”

 “I think I’ve got it. Meet you back here in ten minutes.” the two parted ways. Xiaoxiao crept to the area above the hall where the princesses’ crown was kept on display for the duration of her absence. Carefully removing the roof tile, Xiaoxiao looked down at her target. The crown glittered in the sunlight. Xiaoxiao jumped down into the hall without a sound, thanks to her boots. Her waist-length braid was late in falling down her back. Silently, Xiaoxiao lifted the glass case off of the pedestal and set it on the floor. She picked up the crown, then used the pedestal as a boost to jump toward the roof. When it looked like she would miss, wind swirled in from the outside and created a foothold for Xiaoxiao to jump higher with. She landed on the roof without a sound and walked away from the hole in the tile. Varian was waiting for her with her things and his also. He had a large bag of alchemy supplies slung over his shoulder. Xiaoxiao picked up her swords, strapped them at her lower back, then secured her bag to her belt. She threw her cloak around her shoulders then beckoned Varian to the edge of the roof.

 “I have a boat in the harbor. Do you want to go straight to the Southern Isles, or is there something you want to do first?” Varian nodded.

 “I want to visit my father. He’s in Old Corona, a little bit to the south.”

 “Sure thing, Boy Wonder. Let’s get a move on before the guards discover that you, I, and the crown are all missing.” a shout rang out from below.

 “That’s probably it. Follow me.” Xiaoxiao grabbed Varian by the hand and jumped off the roof. Varian screamed.

 “Move your legs like you’re walking!” Varian tentatively obeyed, and the pair gently floated through the air, taking ‘steps’ on nothing at all.

 “Hold on!” they fell from the air, slid down the nearest roof and landed on the cobbled streets of Corona. Xiaoxiao pulled Varian through the winding roads all the way to the docks.

 “Stop!” a guard ran toward them, lance brandished. Xiaoxiao hoisted Varian over her shoulder like a potato sack and jumped straight onto his head. The other guards rushed at them also, and Xiaoxiao stepped on each of their heads, weaving through the crowd effortlessly. Her boat in sight, a small vessel big enough to comfortably fit ten people; Xiaoxiao ran down the docks, Varian still over her shoulder, and landed in her boat. Setting the dazed Varian down, Xiaoxiao untied the boat and stepped back onto the dock. She threw her cloak to Varian, revealing her purple and white stealth suit.

 “You came all the way out here, it’d be a shame not to give you a show, no?”Xiaoxiao crossed her arms. Lowering her stance, there was a moment of silence before Xiaoxiao shot toward the guards like a cannon. Pulling her swords out of their sheath, Xiaoxiao cut a tiny spiral into each of the guards' breastplates over the heart. Once she had finished, Xiaoxiao leaped to a support beam on the pier.

 “Good luck explaining this one!” she stepped into the air and flew into the boat with Varian.

 “Buh bye,” she waved to the dumbstruck guards. Tugging lightly at a rope, Xiaoxiao unfurled the sail. A silver triple spiral was emblazoned on the sail. Making a pushing motion, wind filled the sail and the little boat sped away from the shore. Varian stared back at Corona, which was shrinking from view.

 “How did you do that?” he said slowly.

 “Practice. I’m a damn good thief, if you haven't figured that out yet,”

 “No, I mean how do you call the wind like what you did back there, what you’re doing now!” Varian gestured at Xiaoxiao, who was still pushing the boat.

 “Have you ever heard the Lantern kingdom’s creation story?”

 “...no.”

 “Tell me when you do. If you don’t figure out my abilities just from reading it, I’ll tell you. Sound good?” Varian nodded. There was a new light in his eyes, a flickering one of curiosity. The rest of the short trip passed in relative silence. When the boat anchored near Varian’s village, Xiaoxiao left the contents of her bag in the boat. When Varian asked why, she told him that she wanted to take any food they could because she had none.

 The village was desolate; an uninhabited wasteland of black spikes that blotted out the sun. Varian went to his father, Xiaoxiao moved through the houses, looking for food that was good to eat. Finding a stash of bread and salami in one of the houses, Xiaoxiao stuffed her bag full and went to go look for Varian. She found him in a square, on the ground clutching his stomach and crying. In front of him was a life-size statue of a man clearly related to Varian. Xiaoxiao ducked behind a black spike, knowing it was better to leave him to grieve in the moment.

 “Varian?” a girl’s voice from the other side of the square rang out. Xiaoxiao peeked around the spike and was greeted with the sight of the princess of Corona, Rapunzel, and her husband, Eugene. Varian looked up at Rapunzel and jumped to his feet.

 “What are you doing here.”

 “I should be asking you that, Varian! You’re supposed to be in jail!” Varian glared daggers at the princess. He started to back up, in Xiaoxiao’s direction

 “Where’s Cass? She betray you all yet, or what?” Varian kept walking backward, a crazy smile on his face. Rapunzel flinched.

 “She came and visited me every now and then, you know. If it weren’t for her, I would have starved by now! She’d talk about how things were going with your ‘mission,’ how you were no closer to figuring out how to stop the rocks than before. You could have stopped them already with my help!” the Eugenestepped up.

 “Varian, we want to help you! You’ll get help, I promise. But in the meantime, we have to focus on this. Cassandra has the moonstone, and we have to stop-”

 “So I was right.” Varian sobbed. He was standing straight, facing Eugene with defiant confidence.

 “How many more will die like my father did before you people are done ‘solving this mystery’?! How many more people will your incompetence murder?!” tears spilled down Varian’s cheeks.

 “Varian-” Varian walked to his father and placed a carefully braided wreath of silk ribbon on his stone neck.

 “Cass gave them to me. I’ve had a year to work out how to do it right.” the princess and her husband watched Varian nervously.

 “I met someone who’s willing to get me out of the country. If we’re lucky, this will be the last time we see each other.” Rapunzel jumped forward, blocking Varian’s path.

 “Varian, wait! Please come back to Corona we can-”

 “What, throw me in jail without a second thought again? Or are you gonna murder another one of my family members first?” Varian deadpanned at Rapunzel. She shrunk back.

 “I’m ready to go now. Wherever you’re hiding, we can leave now.” Xiaoxiao stepped out from behind the spire.

 “All right. Princess, if you could move a little bit.” Rapunzel stared at Xiaoxiao. Varian moved around her and stood next to Xiaoxiao. Xiaoxiao gestured like she was going to flick at the other two. A gust of wind blew through the rocks, the first the village had felt in over a year. Rapunzel stumbled backward. Without saying anything else, Varian and Xiaoxiao turned and walked toward the edge of the clearing when Eugene darted at Varian. In that moment, time seemed to slow down. Xiaoxiao grabbed Eugene by the wrist and held a sword to his throat

 “You know, I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in this country. As far as I’m aware, wonder boy here made a call, one that upset your idea of right and wrong, so you threw him in prison for a year and just forgot about him. Am I right? What were you intending to do once you got your hands on him? Toss him into prison? Or try to “reform” him? Whatever you meant to do, I’m pretty sure I heard him say that he doesn’t want to go back. I’ll see you all in therapy, Bye!” Xiaoxiao kicked Eugene in the stomach, sending him flying. She lifted Varian under one arm and ran toward the forest.

Once she got through the forest, Xiaoxiao slowed to a stop. She set Varian down and got to work pushing the boat out of the sand. With considerable effort, she set the boat afloat. Varian hopped aboard, and Xiaoxiao followed closely. After about an hour of “pushing” the boat, Xiaoxiao found a northbound current and relaxed. She sat down next to Varian, who hadn’t said anything since the village.

 “How’re you holding up?” Varian wouldn’t look at her.

 “I suppose you want to know all about what happened now.”

 “Not if you don’t wanna tell me.” Varian turned his head to face her.

 “...I don’t.”

 “Well then, I won’t interrogate you. Sometimes it’s better to just think about things for a time.” Varian’s eyes were red from the tears. He didn’t say anything, but he scooted over and hugged her around the waist.“Thanks. For all of this.” Xiaoxiao smiled and hugged back.

 “What are friends for?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian deserved better  
> I'm feeling especially unapologetic today, so here's Xiaoxiao's outfit   
> https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c0/1d/9e/c01d9eab5cd34f537ee1db6cdebfd2b9.jpg


	2. Hans Westergaard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hans is a softboy and you can pry that from my cold, dead hands

Hans was tired. He had been tired for the last eighteen months, but something about today dragged on extra long. Maybe it was the fact that he would get his newspaper today, or maybe it was that his execution date was to be decided today. That must be it, he decided. The hopelessness of his situation was finally sinking in. Hans shoveled another load of soil into the waiting wheelbarrow. He then took the sapling sitting on the edge of the hole and carefully lowered it down. Covering the sapling’s roots with soil, then pouring water onto the tiny tree. 

Rising to his full height, Hans pulled the handkerchief off his head and wiped the sweat off his brow. It was about time for lunch. 

Hans used the servant’s entrance to the kitchen, where the cooks ignored his presence, as per usual. He opened the lid to the stockpot that had been simmering since morning and took a sniff. It was almost ready; Hans took some arrowspice down from the shelf. This was how it was. Hans would make soup every day in the stockpot, and the servants would have it for their dinner. Hans himself was allowed some for lunch. Chopping up the arrowspice, Hans tossed it into the pot. Giving it a stir, Hans tasted the soup, then ladled it into his bowl. 

Swiping some bread on his way out, Hans headed over to his spot under the willow tree. He slowly sipped at his soup, gazing at the sea. 

A bundle of papers fell from above, right on time. A month’s worth of newspaper from two months ago fell from his brother Byron’s window. Hans assumed that he thought a servant was picking it up, but Hans had actually been collecting the two-month-old papers for some reading material and, right on time. It was from two months ago, dropped from his brother Bruno’s window. It might have just been wishful thinking, but Hans thought Bruno sympathized with him, at least a little. He was the second youngest, after all. The headline read that two dangerous prisoners had escaped from Corona. They had last been spotted heading south with the princess’s crown. Hans raised an eyebrow. By now, they could be anywhere. He thought. 

Deciding to save the rest for later, Hans folded up the paper and finished his soup. He stretched and walked to the scullery.

Pulling the large rubber gloves over his normal ones and rolling up his sleeves, Hans set to work doing laundry for the castle maids. When he had hung all of the clothes out to dry, Hans set to work mending the only uniform in the pile. When he picked it up, a note fell out of the fabric. It read I really like the embroidery on my uniform, thank you! And had a smiling face doodled on it. Hans looked over the hole in the uniform’s skirt. He carefully set to work stitching a daisy-shaped patch into place, as the hole was too big to just sew up. 

Once he was finished, the sun was nearly down. Hans left the uniform in the ‘done’ pile and went up to his cell. It wasn’t bad, really. The cot had been cushioned with newspaper, and dinner was already set out. A sandwich. Hans chewed thoughtfully, contemplating his situation. Eighteen months ago, Hans had been leaning in to kiss Anna, his fiancee, when he had blacked out. Next thing he knows, Hans is being punched in the face by selfsame fiancee and sent over the edge of a ship’s deck. Thrown in prison, Hans’s punishment for a crime he didn’t remember committing was eighteen months of laboring for the palace servants and then execution. At this point, all he could hope for was a delay. 

A note slipped under the door. Hans put down the uneaten sandwich and looked it over.

“The execution date of Prince Hans of The Southern Isles is scheduled for tomorrow at noon. Prince Hans has been charged with, and found guilty of, the crime of attempting to murder the royal family of Arendelle and usurp the throne. Both Queen Elsa of Arendelle and Princess Anna of Arendelle will be in attendance.” Hans sighed and crumpled up the note. Fifteen hours to live. I have fifteen hours to live. And Anna will be there. Hans picked his sandwich back up, but couldn’t take a bite. He had lost his appetite. 

When Hans had been selected as the embassy to Arendelle for the queen’s coronation, he had been thrilled. Hans had never left The Southern Isles in his life and desperately wanted someone to talk to other than the horses in the stables. He hadn’t been expecting to fall in love with the princess. 

Hans had never believed in true love. His parents were married for political reasons, and they absolutely despised each other. He didn’t particularly care for his brothers, and they certainly never cared for him. So when he caught sight of the princess of Arendelle for the first time, he’d thought he’d been dreaming. At the ball, when Anna had taken him through the castle, Hans understood for the first time the love spoken of in fairy tales. 

“The only frozen heart here is yours.” she had said. Hans would remember those words for the rest of his life. 

No one had explained anything to him until the trial. When he’d learned that all twelve of his brothers would be attending, that was when he realized that what had happened was far worse than a simple screw-up. Not one of his brothers would attend another one of those. 

Anna and Elsa had testified at the trial. When Hans heard what had happened, he had been struck dumb. He couldn’t even think to tell the truth. After all, who would believe that he had blacked out for the entire time? 

After about two months of cooking, cleaning, gardening, et cetera, Hans had forced himself to believe that what had happened was, in fact, his repressed desire for a kingdom of his own acting by itself. (or something.) Hans enjoyed the work, it helped take his mind off of everything. For the last eighteen months, the quiet had been his greatest enemy. 

“Geez, I didn’t expect you to be this depressed before I showed up.” Hans stifled a scream. A girl, with black hair, olive skin and almond eyes had just appeared at his window.

“Calm down. I just want to talk,” she said.

“W-we’re five stories up.”

“Unimportant. My name is Xiaoxiao, and I’m here to discuss business with you.”

“Business?” 

“Yes, business. I have a very important task to undertake, one that requires specifically your cooperation.”

“My cooperation. What task is this exactly? I don’t really have any abilities, stuck in this cell and all.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong! You have exactly what I need!”

“What is this task.”

“I have to save the world!” Xiaoxiao exclaimed. She slashed one of the window bars off with a sword that came from below Hans’s line of sight. Hans yelped and jumped toward the cell door.

“S-save the world?” Xiaoxiao’s crooked smile widened. 

“Absolutely! And I need your help to do it!” Hans stared at her as she wiggled through the gap in his window. She was slender and came up about to Hans’s chin. Her clothes were ash grey and purple. They were clearly made with stealth in mind foremost, defense a little lower down the list. She stuck her sword back in its sheath next to its twin. Out of her shoulder bag, she pulled a map.

“Basically, what would happen is if you accepted my offer, I would help you get your stuff and escape this country. We would go south to the desert continent, about here,” she pointed to a place on her map “and pick up another key player. Once we have them, we’d head north to Arendelle,” Hans paled.

“Relax. It’s not like we’ll be interacting with anyone. We’ll find the crown at the ice castle and go. No hassle involved,” 

“...Why exactly do you need the crown?”

“Oh, while we’re still here, I need your mom’s crown, too. Apparently, once we get light through the four crowns, we get a map of our destination.”

“...what?”

“The enchanted lands, sideburns. We’re going to the enchanted lands to save the world from the pissed-off rock god who’s shut up over there.” Xiaoxiao rolled up the map. 

“You don’t have to decide right now, just please do that by tomorrow. Here.” Xiaoxiao pulled an outfit out of her bag. She then pulled a pair of boots out and set them next to the folded-up clothes. 

“When the guard comes by tomorrow morning and tells you to clean up, don’t put the clothes he gives you on. Put these on instead. Also, get a razor. I can’t call you sideburns when they look like that,” Hans, ignoring the jab at his hair, looked over the outfit. It wasn’t anything particularly special. 

“Why these clothes specifically?” Hans asked the now-outside-the-window-Xiaoxiao. She smiled enigmatically.

“They’re fireproof.” Hans’s stomach sank. 

“So that’s what this is about, then?” Xiaoxiao gave him a half-smile.

“I suppose so. Lose the gloves, too. See you tomorrow!” she kicked off the windowsill. Hans dashed to the window and looked down for her. A thought struck him. Hans looked up, just in time to see a silhouette leap across the full moon. Hans sat down on his cot. He stared at his gloved hand and sighed.

The next morning, a guard came by to take him to a bathroom. He washed up meticulously, taking special care shaving, as he really did look as bad as Xiaoxiao had said the night before. Once he was done, Hans looked over the two sets of clothing he was to choose from. He had told the guard one was a thank-you gift from one of the palace seamstresses. 

Xiaoxiao’s suit was comfortable, crafted for ease of movement. Hans told himself that it wouldn’t hurt to be comfortable at the end. 

There came a knock at the bathroom door.

“It’s time.” Hans stared at the door. Almost unconsciously, he pulled one glove off his hands, then the other.

The guard on the other side of the door placed cuffs on his wrists and led him down the hall. Hans looked through every window they passed, feeling strangely nostalgic. Another guard joined them sometime after passing the stables. Both of the guards were dressed in ceremonial attire and carried executioner’s spears. It was surreal, almost. 

Before long, the throne room loomed ahead. The two guards flanked Hans as he walked into the hall. The regal carpet in Southern Isles red was laid at his feet. He faced forward and kept his head held high. The king and queen of The Southern Isles sat at the head of the room. On either side, six of Hans’s brothers stood, expressing no emotion for him. Reiner, William, Micheal, Arthur, Charles, and Alexander on one side; the twins Fredrick and Thomas, George, Henry, Edward, and Bruno on the other. On two guest chairs to the far left of the room sat Elsa and Anna. They were just as stony-faced as Hans’s family. Above the thrones was a stained glass window streaming light into the room. Hans was forced to his knees. The man at the front of the room seemed to be reading something off, but the ringing in Hans’s ears made it exceptionally hard to hear. The two guards crossed the spears over his throat. Hans closed his eyes.

An ear-splitting crash resounded through the room. Hans looked up. Someone had jumped through the huge window. They twirled midair and landed facing the throne. 

“Hey!” Arthur shouted at the figure. They crossed their arms and threw their arms outward. An explosion of wind ripped through the throne room, knocking every one of Hans’s brothers back against one wall or another. 

The figure dropped their arms to their sides and pivoted to face Hans. They extended a hand toward him, beckoning. Her face was obscured by the cloak, but Hans had no doubts as to her identity. 

Deep down, Hans felt something stirring. Something he hadn’t felt in almost two years. 

Hope swelled in his chest. 

Flames erupted in the throne room. The roar of the brilliant golden fire ate at the spears at Hans’s neck and the cuffs at his wrists. Before a minute had passed, the cuffs were a puddle at his feet. 

Hans stood. He stepped out of the fireball, tongues of fire curling at his shoulders and took Xiaoxiao’s hand. 

“I accept your offer,” he said to just her.

“Brilliant.” she adjusted her grip to his wrist, then turned and pulled him to the queen. 

With her free hand, Xiaoxiao snatched the crown off Hans’s mother’s head, then jumped back out the window in one motion. Landing in a shrub, Xiaoxiao asked:

“So, uh, is there anything you wanna get before we ditch this kingdom?”

“A few things, yes.”

“Great,” a spike of ice exploded out of the throne room.

“Ooh, that’s not good,” said Xiaoxiao. “Tell you what, we’re going to your room.” she pulled Hans to his feet and ran at the wall. 

The wind picked up, sending them all the way to the top of the building. They ran across the roofs of Westergaard castle until they reached Hans’s old room. Xiaoxiao kicked the window open and told Hans to grab what he needed. 

Hans looked around his room. A layer of dust covered all the surfaces. A canvas artist’s bag sat forgotten on a chair in a corner. Hans picked it up and dusted it off. He stared for a moment before slinging it over his shoulder. He packed things like clothes, art supplies, and some of the jewels set in the mirror. Lastly, he carefully lifted his sword from where it sat on the wall and placed it at his side. 

"I swiped the stuff from that bathroom, so you don't need any of that. You ready?" Xiaoxiao brought two fingers to her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. A bird of prey screeched from above. A white bird landed on Xiaoxiao's outstretched arm. She scratched its head and then said to it:

“Qi, you think you can hold off the Snow Queen until we get Sideburns’ horse? Good girl.” she tossed the bird into the air and gestured to Hans. 

“Qi will take care of that. You want to get your horse?” Hans nodded. He followed Xiaoxiao as they crept back over the roofs of the palace to the stables. 

Sitron waited below. He greeted Hans with an accusatory snort.

“I know. I’m sorry. I couldn’t get away for long enough to see you. And everyone already thought I was crazy enough, but I think we can get out now. You see her? She has a boat. We’re going on an adventure..? I don’t exactly know all the details. It’ll… be.. Fun..?” Sitron snorted again.

“Look I know this isn’t ideal, but we’re about to get out of here, maybe for good,” Sitron gave him a look.

“Yes, you’re right. That is what I said last time,” Sitron huffed. Hans sighed. It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected this, Sitron had been his only friend for so long, he even accompanied Hans to Arendelle. When Hans had stopped visiting him, Sitron had become understandably upset. Sitron nickered

“Really?” Xiaoxiao watched with mild amusement. Hans turned to her. 

“He says that he’ll come, if we buy carrots at the first chance, and if I get some clothes that look better on me.” Xiaoxiao looked over Sitron

“I apologize for the outfit, it was all I could find on such short notice, c’mon. We’re gonna break down the palace gate. Don’t saddle up, I have one ready.” Hans wondered how she could be so prepared. 

Hans climbed onto Sitron’s back. Xiaoxiao’s bird Qi flew overhead. Xiaoxiao somehow kept up with Sitron’s gallop as they dashed toward the palace gate. There was no contest. With the combined effort of Sitron, a warhorse, and Xiaoxiao’s powers, the gate splintered to pieces. The four of them raced into the outer city. Qi dove to fly close to them, as the guards, led by Elsa pursued them. 

The cobblestones turned to ice. 

“Crap!” Xiaoxiao threw a smoke bomb to the ground, then pulled Sitron to a side street.  
There was a back door wide enough for Sitron in the alley. The four of them shuffled inside. 

“That was close. We should-” Xiaoxiao was cut off by someone clearing their throat behind them. 

“Miss meng? Back so soon?” an elderly woman sat behind a counter. Hans realized they were in an inn. Xiaoxiao gulped.

“Yep! I brought some friends, and they’re wearing pretty heavy boots, so sorry if we’re kinda loud,” Hans realized the woman was blind. 

“Oh, that’s quite alright. You get what you need, okay?” Xiaoxiao put a finger to her lips. She went upstairs. 

Several seconds passed in silence.

“Why, I didn’t know miss Meng was in the company of royalty. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.” 

“It’s perfectly fine if you don’t say anything. I suppose I’ve been wanting to meet you. I wanted to let you know, on the behalf of the townspeople, that no one really believes what happened in Arendelle was your fault. It was unbelievable for all of us, that such a gentle boy even could do something like that. You’re following miss Meng to find the truth for yourself, no? Well, you couldn’t find a better guide than her,” Xiaoxiao came down the stairs just then wearing a different set of clothes, and carrying tack and saddle for Sitron. She set it on the floor, then tossed Hans a new set of clothes. Hans stared at her. 

Xiaoxiao’s hair was no longer black, but rather a purplish silver. Her new clothes featured a black knit shawl hanging over one shoulder. When Hans made no move to go change, Xiaoxiao said

“These clothes won’t change your hair color or anything if you’re worried about that. This is actually my natural color. My last clothes came with a nifty disguise spell. Go and put that on, I’ll get your horse ready. 

Xiaoxiao’s room at the inn was modest, about what Hans had been expecting. The new clothes were made of linen, and were clearly created for ease of movement. Hans felt better in these clothes than he had in years. 

Downstairs, Sitron was in a traveler’s saddle and looked very self-satisfied. When he saw Hans, he gave a huff of approval. 

“Bye, miss Meng! Good luck to all of you!” the old woman waved them off, as the four left the inn. 

“Are you sure it’s safe to be in the open streets? The entire guard is after us.”

“It is if you keep that hood up. The guard is looking for two young men wearing red and white, a warhorse, and a kite. The only part of us that fits that description is your cloak.” Hans rubbed the crimson fabric of the cloak between his fingers. It was a parting gift from the old woman at the inn. He silently thanked the townspeople for believing in him. 

The four stopped once more at a tiny shop nearby the harbor. Xiaoxiao went inside. Through the front window, Hans saw her talk to a scrawny boy inside the shop. They embraced, and Xiaoxiao came back out. 

“Who was that?” asked Hans

“Friend of mine. Don’t worry about it.” they slowly approached the docks. A boat with a triple spiral emblazoned on the already rolled-out sails awaited. Xiaoxiao whistled for Qi, and they stepped into the boat. 

“Over there!” a guard ran at the dock, followed by what looked like most of the army, Elsa, Anna, and that other guy (Hans couldn’t remember his name). Xiaoxiao untied the boat. A push with her powers and the little boat was speeding away from the port. 

A cannonball whizzed just by the boat.

“Crap! Sideburns, you steer the ship! We’re going south!” she jumped down from on top of the cabin and faced the war cruiser bearing down on them.

“Wow, they really want you dead.” the ship fired toward the boat. Xiaoxiao leaped into the air. She drew her swords. Using the cannonballs as stepping stones, Xiaoxiao drew her swords. She sliced every cannonball in two, kicking them away from the boat. She ran through the air at the ship, flipping higher and higher. She used her height to carve two huge slits in the mainsail of the ship. 

When she hit the deck, Hans couldn’t see her anymore. He concentrated on steering the boat south. A moment later, the howling wind forced him to look back. What looked like a typhoon was converging on the deck. The wind pulled ocean water up and onto the ship. Seconds later, Xiaoxiao appeared above the cloud. She used a gust to push herself back onto the boat with a thud. 

“Oooh, that’s gonna smart.” she winced as she sat up.

“Did you just take down a war cruiser singlehandedly?”

“Did I? Wow. that’s a new record. Let’s put that kingdom behind us, for now. If everything goes well, we won’t have to fight the Snow Queen again until she gets manipulated into chasing us to the enchanted lands.”

“What?” 

“Not right now, I’ve got a headache. Steer the ship, dude.” Hans steered the ship, while Xiaoxiao laid down for some well-deserved shut-eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hans's execution outfit: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/60/0d/9d/600d9debb5e7348641875651bd5110e7.jpg  
> Hans's adventure outfit: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/4e/fc/654efc4db7e32335c471249039471e94.jpg  
> Xiaoxiao's new outfit: https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2b/e0/5e/2be05efe105248f7249b849a02be3613.jpg  
> i like clothes,,, and,, i can't draw,,,


	3. Anna (of Arendelle)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god i'm so tired

Having a breakdown in the cabin of a ship was not something Anna could endorse. To put it in simple terms, she was freaking out. 

 

What she had witnessed in the Southern Isles would haunt her. Not only did other people have powers like Elsa’s, but one of them was  _ Him. _

 

She pulled her knees to her chest. Kristoff looked concerned, he knew what had happened, but he hadn’t seen any of it with his own two eyes. Hans was cold, cruel, and calculating. She could never imagine him with the power of  _ fire _ of all things. 

 

She sighed and snuggled closer to Kristoff. They were waiting for Elsa, who had pursued the group of fugitives all the way to the port. Anna had watched in horror as the mysterious figure helping Hans escape had singlehandedly taken down a 100-gun battleship without breaking a sweat. The ship had been scuttled by the typhoon she had summoned from thin air. The sailors who made it out unscathed were blubbering nonsense when they had been fished out of the bay. 

 

“I can’t believe it. I can’t-” Kristoff pulled her closer. He was big, warm, and exactly what Anna needed. She hugged him back and buried her face in him. He didn’t say anything, just stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. Anna felt the tears coming. 

 

She was back in that parlor again. She shivered. 

 

“Anna, I’m back,” Anna looked up. Elsa stood in the doorway, looking dejected. “The Queen of The Southern Isles is furious. She’s looking for someone to blame that isn’t the.. Ninja.. That broke him out of prison. To make a long story short, we’re being kicked out,” Anna said nothing. She didn’t have an opinion about that. Kristoff gave a thumbs up. 

 

~~~

 

In Arendelle a few days later; Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff were standing in front of Grand Pabbie, seeking advice. Elsa spoke first.

 

“We don’t know what to do, Pabbie. Hans has escaped and he’s more dangerous than we ever imagined,” Pabbie sighed.

 

“I had hoped to hide this from you for as long as possible. While I didn’t expect that one to be involved, it’s time I told you about the avatars.” 

 

“Avatars?” Anna asked.

 

“The Avatars were four humans who lived one thousand years ago. They were the catalysts for the end of an ancient war, one that was over the world itself.” Pabbie created an image of a towering boulder with a human body.

 

“Two thousand years ago, the rock god Berg created the world and all of its life. The earth was a peaceful place then, with trolls and humans living in harmony with one another. Unfortunately; where there is light, darkness rises up to challenge it.” Pabbie conjured an image of four animals. A green lion, a blue otter, a red horse, and a white bird.

 

“The four gods of the elements grew malcontented with their roles in Berg’s world. They waged war on the trolls and banished them to the far north, the enchanted lands.” The glowing animals converged on the image of the rock god.

 

“Berg managed to strike the fatal blow to the gods as he himself was being sealed. As they lay dying, the gods contemplated the future of the seal they had placed on the enchanted lands. Just as they were speaking, four humans came across the dying gods,” four human figures appeared next to the gods.

 

“They were four travelers, brought together by fate. A monk, a princess, a warrior, and a healer from the enchanted lands. The four had come to this place to bid farewell to the healer. When the gods saw them, they decided to infuse the humans with their power, so the barrier could be retained. The gods instructed them on how to re-seal the barrier and promised them that the power would resurface in their bloodlines when the time was right.” the images vanished. “It would appear that time is now. The new avatar of air is gathering the others at the enchanted lands to sure up the barrier. Right now, the barrier is the weakest it has been for one thousand years. You must free those who were trapped there, lest they remain.”

 

“But Pabbie,” said Anna, “what can we do to stop them now? They were heading south, and who knows what sort of things they could be up to?”

 

~~~

 

“So… you take fashion advice from your horse?”

 

“Shut up!”

 

~~~

 

“I mean, the possibilities are endless! What can we do now?” Pabbie sighed.

“The best thing you can do now is to prepare for your own journey to the enchanted lands to stop them. Maps are useless, the landscape is ever-changing. Your journey will be perilous, as the rock giants in the enchanted lands have grown to despise humans. I can help you keep track of the four, but only while they are together,” Pabbie produced an orb, with some sort of dark liquid sloshing about inside. Four lights swirled about the orb, in slow circles around one another. 

 

“When you have run out of options facing them in the enchanted lands, break this. It cannot be allowed to fall into their hands.” Anna stared at the orb in Elsa’s hands. 

 

“What will happen if it does fall into their hands?” she asked.

 

“That device works with a fraction of the gods’ power trapped inside. The power wants to rejoin itself, but cannot. If it were to fall into their hands, all four of them would wield more power than they already do.” Anna remembered the destroyed ship in the Southern Isles and shuddered.

 

“Right. Don’t let them have it. Got it.” Elsa stepped back from the boulder in the clearing.

 

“Thank you for your help, Pabbie. We won’t fail you,” the three said their goodbyes and left the clearing. 

  
  


Back in the palace, Anna stared out her window. She couldn’t shake it; that parlor scene kept coming back for her.

 

“Oh, Anna. if only there was someone out there who loved you.” she shivered. Behind her, there were soft footsteps. 

 

“Elsa said you were sad. Are you sad?” it was Olaf. the little snowman stepped over to where Anna was sitting and looked up at her. Anna smiled. Olaf had such a pleasant presence, it was impossible to be in a bad mood around him.

 

“Not anymore, Olaf. Thanks,” Olaf gave her a puzzled look. “Being upset won’t solve anything. I need to think about how we’re going to stop this from happening before it happens,” she grinned. “If that makes any sense.”

 

Anna followed Olaf outside, to find that Kristoff and Elsa were already ready to go. Hopping into the wagon, Anna sat next to her sister. Elsa had a thin smile on her face, trying to hold it together. She clutched Pabbie’s orb to her chest and stared out the window. Olaf squeezed between the two of them, then launched into an explanation of the way the sun liked to shine through the clouds on autumn days like this. Anna had the feeling it was going to be a long trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frozen 2 really did my boy dirty like that, huh


End file.
